Gearless Scooter: Wego vs Jupiter vs Access vs Vespa vs Maestro

This is a discussion on Gearless Scooter: Wego vs Jupiter vs Access vs Vespa vs Maestro within Motorbikes, part of the BHP India category; We were in a similar situation a few months back and we narrowed down to Access and Facino. Both are ...

Thanks, guys. My main concern about the Wego is that it's the oldest of the lot that I've shortlisted. Is there a facelift / update expected any time soon? Also, isn't the 'Body Balance' tech just a gimmicky jargon for a front-biased CoG? That apart, the Jupiter and Maestro Edge both feature external fuel fillers and multi-functional ignition slots.

Body Balance is not a gimmick. You need to drive Wego back to back with other scooters to check the difference.

I can take a tight U-turn in Wego with both feet up, its that good.
Its not got sync brake and digital display, not sure if there is any update coming.

Thank you, tushky. The Fascino is a great little scooter, but I'm ruling it out primarily because of the low ground clearance. It feels a bit too delicate to take the mammoth speed breakers and the moonscape of a road (in my area) in its stride.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharkashwa

Hi, I wouldn't want to suggest you any particular make but just want to share my experiences regarding the scooters we have.

Thank you for that account, sharkashwa! I hope both your ponies continue to give your family a million smiles and trouble-free miles!

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpha1

I would suggest you buy something that has service center NEAR to your house. Most important thing.

Indeed true, sir. Fortunately, we do have all the major dealerships in the city. How they stack up in terms of performance remains to be seen! V. J. Honda has really left a sour taste in our mouths!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

I endorse your decision not to go for Honda two wheeler.
One more scooter worth considering is Hero Duet. I advise avoiding Maestro since it is in the dying phase of it's life cycle; about to be discontinued. Duet will be more comfortable for your dad because of the managable height of the scooter, like Hero Pleasure. Even Pleasure is good.

Thanks for the insight, Rahul Bhalgat. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Maestro Edge and Duet launched together in September 2015? I think you must be confused with the older Maestro. Also, like I mentioned earlier, the Pleasure is a bit too petite for our requirement. And as far as phasing out the Fascino is concerned, I don't feel it'll happen any time soon, since it's relatively new.

Quote:

Originally Posted by subuiyer

One thing we absolutely hate:
- Always Headlights On accompanied with higher level setup of the headlamp - in a new scooter, it is glaring even in bright noon Sun. Should have separate LED DRL and headlamps should have control switch.

Congratulations on your acquisition, subuiyer! You resound my thoughts about the always-on headlamps. Most irresponsible riders forget that the lights can be switched to low mode, even if they're always on. It's terribly distracting, even under the bright sun. DRLs seem to be a more useful addition to two-wheelers than four-wheelers, these days!

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverado

I can take a tight U-turn in Wego with both feet up, its that good. Its not got sync brake and digital display, not sure if there is any update coming.

Thank you, silverado. I never paid attention to comparing the ease of U-Turns on different scooters. I'll need to take a more comprehensive ride to experience it, I guess.

Thanks for the insight, Rahul Bhalgat. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the Maestro Edge and Duet launched together in September 2015? I think you must be confused with the older Maestro. Also, like I mentioned earlier, the Pleasure is a bit too petite for our requirement. And as far as phasing out the Fascino is concerned, I don't feel it'll happen any time soon, since it's relatively new.

Yes, I confused with old Maestro. It is because the old Maestro was discontinued only this year. And the company had said that the dealers will continue to sell the stock in hand, of the old Maestro.

The Duet was launched with Maestro Edge and Hero has positioned the Duet as a family scooter. So you may have a look at it.

Hero Pleasure is indeed little smaller than the other scooters you are considering. But it is not petite IMO, like Scooty. We have one, purchased primarily for our daughter, who was in 11th standard at that time. But all of us try to grab that scooter (out of 3 scooters), as much as possible. My wife as well as the mother (68, only a pillion rider) too prefer it.

As you said, Fascino is relatively new product. But the company's performance in two wheelers is not at all impressive; neither in motorcycles nor in scooters. IMO, the company does not seem to be determined enough. I fear that they may pull out of scooters in future.

Thanks, guys. My main concern about the Wego is that it's the oldest of the lot that I've shortlisted. Is there a facelift / update expected any time soon? Also, isn't the 'Body Balance' tech just a gimmicky jargon for a front-biased CoG? That apart, the Jupiter and Maestro Edge both feature external fuel fillers and multi-functional ignition slots.

Not at all. You have to experience it yourself. IMHO, for a commuter bike why think so much.
Pluse points.
a. Good balance (unique)
b. Very good ride quality
c. Easy patented center stand (unique)
d. Just enough power. I am probably the minority who think that commuter 2 wheeler shouldn't have power than required just for own safety. Power delivery is smooth and not jerky.
e. Trouble free - in 7 years hardly anything except for regular maintenance.

I had owned an Activa earlier (2003) hence I could compare ride quality. Balance and delivery within a week were the wow factor for me.
Personally I wouldn't hesitate to buy another wego if I needed a replacement.

I recently purchased the Suzuki Activa 125 a couple of months back after doing a test ride on all aforementioned scooters.

I find the access to have a good tall stance (I'm 6'1") to have a comfortable sitting, a big boot, a very comfortable ride even through the pothole filled roads(the leading road to my house is an uneven mud road which became a slushy one during the heavy rains Bangalore is facing). The access held its own in the slush and is a stable ride.

The pick up is good. Two adults (medium to heavy built) with one child can sit very comfortably thanks to the broad and long seat.

The boot is big enough to keep a helmet and a few other smaller items as well.

And from a financial perspective, you get the 125cc engine at the price of other 110cc scooters.

But our Honda hasn't stood the test of time that well, thanks in a big way to the indifferent and apathetic dealership called V. J. Honda (Dombivli). Their extremely unprofessional way of dealing with the customers and handling vehicles caused my dad to turn to a small-time local garage for the routine maintenance. Needless to say, the service record is practically non-existent.

Dear RoverX, V.J.Honda has earned a really bad name over the last few years. My friend had a horrible experience when he went in to replace his Aviator's speedometer console. They said they don't take warranty cases on Saturday-Sunday and he paid the bill. Afterwards he contacted Honda directly and V.J.Honda Ulhasnagar had to refund the amount.

Well, I can suggest you go for Jupiter because I am using it from last 2 years and perhaps its the only Jupiter roaming in PCMC area with a "got bhp?" sticker .

Advantages include good fuel efficiency, instant self start in the morning, external fuel filling, pass light and solid pickup. I use Jupiter for my daily commute to office and till date it never let me down. My wife uses Honda Aviator and it never starts immediately in the morning. We were once stuck on Senapati Bapat Marg when Aviator refused to start immediately after signal turned green. Jupiter is a blessing in disguise and you will love it for sure.

My in-laws own a TVS Wego and only thing I liked about Wego is its body balance. Rest all features are like Jupiter.

One small extra advice. Don't go for TVS tyres. They are quite hard. Change to softer ones like Apollo after or during purchase.

Would highly recommend Aprilia SR 150!! Primarily for its stance, bigger tires and very sporty ride. The only fall back is the space - below seat you could only keep a half face helmet and in the front you would get space only to keep a laptop bag near the legs. Looks like they are looking at launching a 125 version.

Have been using the new BS4 Access 125 for almost 6 months now and have done close to 5k kms on it by now.
-Great fuel economy (40-48kmpl in traffic)
-comfortable ride quality for short as well as tall frames
- enough space under the seat as well on the floorboard. Carry hooks are useful as well!
- best in class acceleration and very neutral handling
- Didn't like the braking even with a disc setup but sufficient and safe
- Suzuki service centres are better in service and less chaotic than Honda.

Not at all. You have to experience it yourself. IMHO, for a commuter bike why think so much.

Thank you, kotirajendra. Like I mentioned before, I'll need to take another in-depth rider of the Wego to fully experience the body-balance magic. And even though I'm looking for a commuter scooter, I need to be sure that my ~70 grands are being well spent!

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbodude

Dear RoverX, V.J.Honda has earned a really bad name over the last few years. My friend had a horrible experience when he went in to replace his Aviator's speedometer console. They said they don't take warranty cases on Saturday-Sunday and he paid the bill. Afterwards he contacted Honda directly and V.J.Honda Ulhasnagar had to refund the amount.

Well, I can suggest you go for Jupiter because I am using it from last 2 years and perhaps its the only Jupiter roaming in PCMC area with a "got bhp?" sticker .

Advantages include good fuel efficiency, instant self start in the morning, external fuel filling, pass light and solid pickup. I use Jupiter for my daily commute to office and till date it never let me down. My wife uses Honda Aviator and it never starts immediately in the morning. We were once stuck on Senapati Bapat Marg when Aviator refused to start immediately after signal turned green. Jupiter is a blessing in disguise and you will love it for sure.

My in-laws own a TVS Wego and only thing I liked about Wego is its body balance. Rest all features are like Jupiter.

One small extra advice. Don't go for TVS tyres. They are quite hard. Change to softer ones like Apollo after or during purchase.

Thanks a lot, turbodude! I'd be on the lookout for a Jupiter with the 'got bhp?' sticker the next time I'm in PCMC area; I'd love to meet up. Our Aviator has never had any issues with early morning crank-ups, although it no longer pulls away from the signals as cleanly and eagerly as it used to. And also, thanks for the tyre tip! The stock MRFs on my Aviator also feel quite grippy and comfortable. Would you kindly let me know how the MRFs and Apollos stack up against one another?

Quote:

Originally Posted by genopv

Would highly recommend Aprilia SR 150!! Primarily for its stance, bigger tires and very sporty ride. The only fall back is the space - below seat you could only keep a half face helmet and in the front you would get space only to keep a laptop bag near the legs. Looks like they are looking at launching a 125 version.

Thanks for the recommendation, genopv. The Aprilia's indeed a well-priced, fast and fun scooter. But it just won't appeal to my dad, given our requirements of a comfortable and practical urban scooter. Also, the Aprilia's woefully under-equipped, relatively unrefined, and has strictly average plastic quality and finish in its class. And yes, there is a 125cc variant in the works, which will probably share the Vespa 125's powerplant.

Body Balance is not a gimmick. You need to drive Wego back to back with other scooters to check the difference.

I can take a tight U-turn in Wego with both feet up, its that good.
Its not got sync brake and digital display, not sure if there is any update coming.

I can double vouch for what you have said. I own one too.
In comparison to an Activa, which I have used extensively earlier, the Wego handles like a Fly. It even has better ride quality and peppier acceleration.